Tuesday, January 1, 2013

A New Thing ~ Happy New Year 2013





Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it?
I will even make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. - Isaiah 43:19


I wanted to share one of my favorite scriptures with you all on the first day of this new year!  So many of us need a new thing right now.

God tells us in His word that not only will He do just this, but that it will spring forth, even in the wilderness and even in the desert! 

This is one of the many scriptures I have held close to my heart over this last year.

We had a wilderness and desert type year in 2012.

It was a refining year. 

It was a year of shedding and pruning and cutting back the branches in every area of our life.

It was an extremely painful year for our entire family.

The last three years have been like this for us, but 2012 just about did me in as a person.
We all have a few months or  years like that.

We also held The Pearl Event II and walked through a tremendous amount of warfare for


For those of you who have asked, we truly want to hold The Pearl Event III in 2013 with incredible guest speakers/bloggers, etc. again. We are praying for God to have His way and that we would just be willing and obedient to whatever that looks like.

I feel a huge call personally, secondary from the gift of motherhood, that this ministry was the reason God created me. I don't want to just tuck that under my pillow at night and forget about it forever. Even though there have been many, many nights that I have tried to do just that. Wondering if I had even heard Him correctly and if this was all worth it. If He had the right person, etc.  

There have been many "midnight hour" times with the Lord over this last year.

As many of you know, when God calls you to do something for Him, that has never been done before, it keeps you awake at night.

We are praying that God would bring many open doors, the right hearts to partner with us as well as the tools, creative team and servants hearts we need to take it to the next level. 

Big dreams going on behind a small computer screen.

I want to share that we are so grateful to each one of you who prayed and drove and flew and made arrangements to attend the last two Pearl Events. I cannot tell you what it has meant to me personally. 

I am forever grateful to each and every one of you.

We are also so grateful for this last year, in spite of everything.

Sometimes the most change and the most growth and the most fruit actually come from a previous wilderness and desert type year. 

We are excited and fully expectant about the fruit that we pray this year will bring forth from the many, many years we have sown into the kingdom and into the hearts of His people.

We are hopeful that the years of pruning and cutting back and making the paths straight will bring much fruit in our lives this year in 2013.

God is so good. We love Him and we trust Him and we have praised Him through the years of heartache and pain. Just like we praised Him through the good years before that.

We celebrated today with a confetti party, just like we have done with the children  for years now. We celebrated all the difficulties and heartache we have survived as a family and we rejoiced in the many blessings that are to come in the new year. 

I pray that 2013 will be a year filled with the "springing forth" type of blessings for each and every one of you.

Happy New Year sweet friends!














6 comments:

paige said...

well there you are!!!

looking forward to what 2013 holds for you!!

you are loved!

Maria said...

Happy New Year, Sibi!!!

Beautiful post, as always. I love the way you celebrate with your family. You are an amazing Mama.
Your post got me thinking about one of my favorite hymns, "oh love that will not let me go."
My favorite stanza states:
"Oh, joy, that seeks me through the pain
I cannot close my heart to thee
I trace the rainbow through the rain
and feel the promise is not vain
that morn shall tearless be.
And rejoice, my heart! rejoice, my soul!
my Savior, God, has come to thee
Rejoice, my heart! you've been made whole
by a love that will not let me go."

I love the promise that someday there will no more desert/wilderness experiences. I can not wait for that day! And I love the promise that He is with us through the warfare right now. As you've stated many times, God is so faithful.

Sending love to you in this new year.

Jenny Beth said...

dear heavens we just had us a little church! whew we...

lord knows I have been there with you through this pruning.

praying for you and for your dreams in this coming year.

keep sowing sister, as I always say, when that flood gate of blessing pours open there will be so much blessing you will not have room enough for it!

love you friend!

Valerie said...

Happy New Year, Sibi! May God bless you and your beautiful family with peace, health, and happiness this year.

Val

Laura said...

I am new to your blog but have spent the last couple of days going back and reading many of your posts. I want you to know that your words are such an encouragement. I believe that God uses many outlets to speak to us and he has used your sweet words to speak to me. I have been going through some things over the last few months and God has been teaching me about believing Him and waiting on His perfect timing and asking me to demonstrate my faith. Some days that's easy and other days I have failed Him miserably. But I want you to know that you have blessed me more than you will ever know and for that I thank you! The ways that God has used you to shine His love to not only your family and friends but also to strangers you encounter is amazing. But He is always amazing, isn't He! I pray that 2013 brings you joy, peace, and happiness!

inge said...

Happy new year and every best wish for a happy and healthy 2013 to you and your family